


The visit

by regie027



Series: The Path [7]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Atonement - Freeform, Drama, F/F, Forgiveness, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, emotional breakdown, inprisonement, korvira, kyalin - Freeform, mentions of prison camps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26687554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regie027/pseuds/regie027
Summary: Kuvira is compelled to face the person that once attempted to take her life in order to close another chapter of her life, but little did she anticipate that she would face more than just her would-be killer.Part of The Path series.
Relationships: Korra/Kuvira (Avatar)
Series: The Path [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1485029
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	The visit

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

Korra leaned against the bathroom door frame with arms crossed over her chest, watching how Kuvira fixed her abundant hair in a neat bun. It was a routine that had become very familiar to her. After months of living together, she had gotten used to Kuvira’s mundane rituals which she found amusing in how methodically the other woman executed them, almost to the point of clockwork precision. As she took advantage of this quiet moment to indulge in studying Kuvira, Korra found herself tempted to grow her hair back. She had stuck to the more practical, manageable shorter hairstyle but for a moment, she visualized herself with a braid and realized that longer hair meant having a reason for Kuvira to run her fingers through her unruly morning locks. The thought made her lips curve into a lopsided grin.

“Not that I don’t want you to come, but this is something I need to do myself,” the metalbender replied as she pinned the barrette that held her hair up.

“I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but are you sure about this?” A touch of apprehension tinged her words.

Kuvira locked glances with Korra’s reflection in the mirror. “I really appreciate your concern but I don’t think Tenzin would take it well if you stand him off again for the induction ceremony of the new air acolytes. They expect the Avatar to welcome them. It’s a big deal for them you know.”

“You’re starting to sound like Tenzin,” Korra pouted in protest.

“Korra, I know you’re worried but we’ve gone over this already. I don’t want to send the wrong message by having the Avatar by my side. I don’t want misinterpretation to undermine the entire purpose of this visit. I know that if I were in her place, I would see having the Avatar in the room as a blunt attempt at intimidation.”

Korra let out a sight. “You’re right but still, you can’t blame me for harboring my concerns after what happened.” Korra’s glance momentarily fell over Kuvira’s left shoulder and the metalbender’s jaw tensed. Out of reflex, her fingers slid over the area that had once been pierced open by an ice dagger. The memory triggered the shiver that ran down her spine.

“I’ll be fine,” Kuvira shook her head as she brushed aside the prickling sensation that radiated from the scarred surface underneath her blouse. “Kya will be with me which is almost as good as having you with me.”

Korra nodded in affirmative. “I owe Kya one, and Beifong too. Suggesting Kya as a companion for this was an inspired idea. If anyone can inspire respect without appearing threatening is Kya.”

“I’ll be in excellent hands,” Kuvira replied gently. The backs of her fingers brushed against Korra’s right temple and the Avatar caught her hand, clasping it for a moment.

“I’m proud of you. What you’re doing takes a lot of courage.”

Kuvira held her glance with a quiet smile, moved to see that Korra’s eyes confirmed what her words said. “This is just me putting into practice what I’ve learned from you, which is the least I can do. You set the bar by facing Zaheer to the point of trusting his advice despite the harm he did to you. I’m just trying to have some closure to yet another shameful chapter of my past by seeing someone I hurt with my actions.”

“That person wounded you and almost took your life when you were defenseless,” Korra reminded. The image of Kuvira in platinum manacles ambushed while being practically unable to fight back inevitably brought memories of her own vulnerable state in the hands of Zaheer and the Red Lotus. Korra could vividly still picture how utterly despairing Kuvira looked when she came to visit weeks after the attempt against her life. It was an emotion she was all too familiarized with. With the benefit of hindsight, Korra realized it was yet another experience that brought them closer as they opened up to each other in the still of the night, seeking solace in each other's arms. Kuvira's deep voice paused her trail of thoughts.

“I’m aware of that but when I was in power, she, along with many others like her, was the ones defenseless against my regime’s abuses. Besides, she failed and I’m still alive. The fact that I was later granted freedom while she remained in prison must have been infuriating to her.”

“But she won’t be in prison for much longer, and in part, it’s all thanks to you.”

“I shouldn’t take credit for that. Had I been a good ruler, none of this would be necessary now.”

Korra placed both hands over the metalbender’s shoulders. “Vira, that’s all in the past now. What matters now is what you’re doing today, and you deserve credit for that.”

“You’re too kind,” Kuvira observed.

“Well, I’m a very magnanimous Avatar,” Korra retorted with a smirk.

Kuvira arched an eyebrow. “Wow, fancy word and everything. You are quite magnanimous Avatar Korra, I’ll give you that...just as you are cocky.”

“And I can always count on you to call me out. Seriously, Tenzin's influence has been rubbing up on you. Soon you’ll be ordering me around and lecturing me for every single thing.”

Kuvira flashed a wide grin. “But I thought I already did that and quite proficiently I might add.”

“Now look who’s being cocky,” Korra retorted, grateful for the light banter. She knew the metalbender had a lot weighing on her mind and she was doing her best to keep as upbeat as possible in the face of a daunting challenge. A sense of relief washed over her when she noticed the playful grin giving way to a reassuring, gentle smile.

“I’d better get moving before Lin sends a patrol car to detain me for making her girlfriend wait for too long.” She got a last glimpse at her reflection and nodded in approval before stepping out of the bathroom towards the living room.

“Yeah, you don’t want to incur Lin’s wrath. You sure have a natural talent for pissing Beifongs off, even better than myself if I might add,” Korra snickered as she followed Kuvira out.

“I think I thoroughly pissed off each and every one of them, the grand matriarch Toph included. Glad that’s all water under the bridge now.” Kuvira couldn’t emphasize enough just how relieved she felt that her feud with the family was finally a thing of the past now that she had made her peace with her former mentor Suyin.

“Me too. We have enough dealing with Chief Crankypants' default mood.”

Kuvira opened the door and spun on her heels to face Korra.

“Well, I’ll be on my way now. Give Tenzin my regards and don’t fall asleep during the acolytes’ reading of the vows, okay?” She placed a feathery caress atop Korra’s lips.

“I cannot make such promises. You take care, okay?” Korra replied as she swept the metalbender in a tight embrace. Kuvira allowed herself this moment as she closed her eyes, basking in the comforting warmth that washed over her when surrounded by Korra’s powerful arms. Kuvira wished she could somehow tap into the shimmering brightness that seemed to emanate from her like a beacon for the challenge that awaited her.

“I will,” Kuvira affirmed. Under Korra's vigilant gaze, the former Great Uniter took a cleansing breath, steeling herself for her purpose for the day. She was returning to a place that as a former inmate, she knew all too well: Republic City’s maximum-security prison.

~oOo~

As a small retinue of prison guards guided her through the almost labyrinthine path that led to the prison cells, Kuvira realized how anxious she really felt when she became aware of her tightly clenched jaw and her old shoulder wound pulsed with phantom pain. Her stint in prison had been shorter than anyone, especially herself, had expected, but being behind bars for any length of time was hard enough for anyone to warrant apprehension by returning, even if it was as a visitor this time around.

Kuvira had always prided herself to be a tough, disciplined individual, but even her characteristic sternness had its limits, and returning to a place that had witnessed her at her lowest point was testing those limits in ways she hadn’t expected. The dank, musky scents that clung to the narrow walls, the shadows that crept at every corner, the pained murmurs from the prisoners filtering from the cells spurred harrowing recollections she had made herself believe to be mostly forgotten. The ex-inmate was confronted by the fact than rather than cleansed, they had just been buried, stashed away in a corner of her memory. As she tightly surrounded her torso with her arms, each self-conscious step forward brought her closer and closer to the pain she once thought had been left behind the day the massive prison gate closed behind her.

“The prisoner is available to receive you,” the leader of the guards informed as the group stopped in front of a nondescript cell. A woman with the dark complexion of the water tribes, albeit paler, was sitting down on her small bed, eyeing the group with a bored, uninterested expression.

“Am I?” the woman retorted sardonically at the guard. “I wasn’t told that I was expecting visitors today, Ling. If I had known, I would have made myself more presentable.”

The guard seemed uninterested. “Don’t complain to me. The higher-ups cleared this visit. I’m just following orders.” The man turned to face Kuvira. “You have one hour.”

“That should be enough. Thank you, sergeant.”

At the sound of Kuvira’s voice, the prisoner bolted upright. Her mouth curved into a scowl.

“Wait. I could recognize that hateful voice anywhere. Don’t tell me that she’s the visitor,” Irri scoffed through clenched teeth.

“Good day, Irri,” Kuvira replied curtly.

“So, what are you doing here? Have you come here to mock me with your newfound freedom?” The former guard stood defiantly, her cold stare assessing the woman she had once attempted to kill. Her eyes bored at Kuvira with simmering hatred harbored through months of imprisonment in an Earth Empire reeducation camp just for some years later to find herself serving a lengthy sentence for attempted murder. The woman in front of her was the instigator for both events. Fate seemed to delight in twisted coincidences.

“No,” Kuvira brought the rickety wooden chair provided by the guards closer to the cell and sat down. “I’ve come personally to deliver the news. Let’s cut to the chase to make this easier for the both of us, shall we? The board has approved your parole.”

“What? It can’t be,” Irri scowled. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

“No, this is serious and I have the documents to prove it.” Kuvira pointed at the dossier resting over her lap.

“So someone appreciated the truth for once.” Irri flashed a feral grin. To her disappointment, the former dictator remained impassive. Fire stirred at the prisoner’s belly, wishing for a way to beat the petulance out of her.

“In your parole interview, when you were asked if you repented of the actions that led you to prison, you said no and that if given the chance, you would do it again. I know.”

Irri seemed utterly confused.“Then why am I being paroled?”

“Because I voted in favor of it, despite how the interview with the board went,” the metalbender replied. The prisoner stared at her incredulously, and to her compounding confusion, Kuvira appeared to be completely honest about it. This only stoked the ball of hatred at the pit of her stomach even more.

“I was told that you were eligible for parole. Because of what we could consider vested interest on my part in your case, I was provided the interview report and before a decision was made, the board asked for my opinion, which I have already disclosed to you. I’ve come here today to brief you on the terms for the parole should you accept it.”

“Terms, from you? What makes you think I will listen to anything you propose? I know well the kind of poisonous agreements you offer! I’ll accept nothing from you, you hear me?”

Irri suddenly gripped the bars to propel herself forward and spat at Kuvira. Instead of hitting her face, the spittle froze in midair and was shattered in a million tiny pieces against the wall.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t do that again,” a calm, pleasant voice warned as a tall figure emerged from the shadows that had been concealing her presence from Irri until now. Recognition flashed in the younger waterbender’s eyes.

“I know you. You’re...you’re Katara’s daughter. You’re from Water Tribes like me!”

"Irri right? I’m Kya. Pleased to meet you. My heritage is from the water tribes like yours. That makes us kin.” Kya was now standing behind Kuvira as she offered the prisoner a conciliatory smile. Irri appeared to respond positively to this as she retreated and instead opted to emulate Kuvira by sitting down.

“Then how can you even stand sharing the same space with this woman without feeling repulsed? Don’t you know what she did to people like us when she ran the Earth Kingdom like a despot?”

It was a legitimate question, and Kya sensed genuine curiosity rather than recrimination in the younger waterbender’s tone.

“Despite what you might think, I’m fully aware of everything that went on in the Earth Kingdom, but these days I consider Kuvira a friend. This didn’t happen overnight and like you, I had a million reasons to despise and distrust her for what she did. Her army invaded the city my parents founded, and the invasion left a trail of destruction from which we’ve just barely recovered after much effort. But nowadays, I’m at peace with her and I believe I’m a better person because of it.”

“Why?”

Kya smiled as she placed a hand over the metalbender’s shoulder.

“If my father could make friends out of his enemies, then why shouldn’t I try to do the same?”

“But it’s not the same…” Irri protested.

“Isn’t it? Firelord Zuko and General Iroh both belonged to the royal house, which committed genocide against the Air Nomads and waged war against the Earth Kingdom and the water tribes. General Iroh almost took Ba Sing Se, if it wasn’t burned it to the ground first that is, and he might as well be successful in either count hadn’t he been touched by a terrible personal tragedy. But before that, the young Iroh was just as power-hungry as his father and grandfather before him.”

Irri made a gesture to reply but was unable to conjure any words. Instead, she remained silent as her glance went over Kuvira. The former commander had remained seemingly unaffected throughout their tense exchange. She had barely flinched when Irri slammed her body against the bars and spat at her. However, emotion appeared to have filtered through the metalbender’s ironclad control when Kya rested her hand over her shoulder. For a moment, Irri thought she had seen the shimmering of incipient tears pull at the corners of her eyes, something she found very disturbing. It made her appear human and not the monster she truly was.

The former guard let out a sigh. “Okay, you speak of terms. Let me hear them then, but don’t you even think I’m doing this for you. I’m doing it out of respect for Katara’s daughter.” The waterbender directed her glance towards Kya. “Without her parents’ heroism, our culture would have most likely been wiped out of existence.”

Kuvira and Kya exchanged a brief glance, and Kuvira nodded. “I accept. I owe Kya more than my enduring respect. I owe her my life. She healed me after I surrendered to the Avatar. That I’m able to function normally is thanks to this woman and her extraordinary healings skills. She tended to my wounds despite what I had done to her city and her family.”

“I did what I had to do at that moment. A healer will treat friend or foe alike,” Kya clarified.

“That doesn’t diminish what you did,” Kuvira remarked.

Irri rolled her eyes. “This is all very touching, but we’d better hurry. We’re running out of time.”

“Right.” Kuvira opened the dossier and brought out an assortment of documents.

“While you’re getting the paperwork ready, may I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead,” the metalbender replied absentmindedly.

A malicious sneer curved on the former guard’s lips. “How does it feel to be fucking the Avatar after breaking up her relationship with that pretty ex-girlfriend of hers? That seems unbecoming of the so-called Great Uniter.”

Kya, who had been leaning against a wall with arms over her chest gasped audibly as she leaped towards the cell.

“That was way out of line!” the waterbender snapped, glowering menacingly at the former guard. The younger waterbender kept a challenging smirk as she watched Kuvira expectantly.

“Are you sure you wish to move forward with this?” Kya directed her glance towards the metalbender who was still sitting at her chair motionless, her face a rigid mask of impassibility. Kya caught a subtle movement from Kuvira’s lap and it was then that she noticed that her hands were balled into white-knuckled fists over her knees. The waterbender caught sight of the small objects that were embedded in the wall behind her. When she reached with her hand, she realized that they were staples. The upper left corners of the stacks of documents in Kuvira’s lap were ripped. After what it felt like a lifetime, Kuvira lifted her head, her focus directed at the cell and the prisoner inside. The dim light made her features look like they had been etched on a sharp rock. A dark glimmer stirred within the depths of her eyes.

“I was wondering when you were going to make your appearance, _Great Uniter_ ,” Irri spat mockingly, putting special emphasis on the monicker that used to distinguish the former commander.

Kuvira inhaled deeply before uttering a response. “Yes, Kya, I will move forward despite this jab to my personal life. I’ve been hearing terrible things about me every day for years, so I’ve grown used to it. But if there’s one thing I won’t tolerate is disrespect towards the Avatar.”

Kuvira rose. Her face bore the menacing countenance of the Earth Empire tyrant that once ruled with an iron fist. The prisoner, despite all her bluster and bravado, retreated further into her cell until her back met the wall the moment Kuvira got closer until her nose almost brushed the bars. She placed two fingers lightly over the surface of the door and the entire frame rattled violently.

“Say one more disparaging thing about Korra and I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re never released from this place. You will live your natural life within these walls until you are an old decrepit woman.” There was an unnerving quality in the sharp, deep timbre of her voice that made Kya stand paralyzed.

Irri scowled as she attempted to conceal her nervousness. She had expected to coax a reaction out of Kuvira but apparently it hadn’t been this one.

“Have I made myself clear?” The door frame ceased to tremble. The prisoner gestured affirmatively and Kuvira turned around and took her seat again.

“So, let’s go through the offers, shall we?” Kuvira’s features relaxed and her demeanor returned to a polite, professional one as if nothing had happened. The prisoner hesitantly sat down too, and Kya released the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

After presenting the different options available, the prisoner chose to transfer to the Northern Water Tribe where she still had living relatives. The jurisdiction of her case was to be assigned to Korra’s cousins, the current Northern Water Tribe chiefs. Compliance with all the conditions that were laid out was mandatory to avoid being transferred back to Republic City and to prison, but once her time was served, she would be unconditionally free.

“You can request for an attorney free of cost to you to review the terms of this offer if you have any second thoughts. The agreement will be ratified in two weeks in your next parole meeting in case you don’t wish to move forward,” Kuvira explained as she gathered the documents back inside the dossier. She picked up the echo of the steps from the guards approaching them, signaling that their time was up.

“No need for any of that. I find the terms reasonable,” Irri replied. “The sooner I can leave this place, the better.” The prisoner couldn’t hide her growing enthusiasm. She was finally leaving prison for good. Even if it meant striking a deal with the devil herself, it didn’t matter. She was going to leave prison for good. She had been offered the deal of a lifetime and with it, a real chance of a fresh beginning in a different nation, away from the places that evoked memories of failure and loss that kept haunting her to this day.

Kuvira stood up. “I think our work here is done. Thank you for providing me the chance to talk to you, and for your peace of mind, I assure you this will be the last you will see of me.”

“Now that’s a relief,” the prisoner muttered with a dismissive gesture.

“One last thing,” the former captain added. “I know that you don’t care about apologies at this point, but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what happened to you. My apologies can’t fix what was done and they won’t lessen your pain, but I wanted you to know that there isn’t a day that I don’t regret what happened and that I wish there was a way to undo it all.”

“For once we agree on something. I don’t care about your apologies. Too late for them to mean anything to me.” Her glance went over to the healer. “It was a privilege meeting you Kya,” the prisoner said. “We might not agree on many things but I have nothing but respect towards you and your family.” Her waist bent slightly forward into a small bow.

“Thank you,” Kya replied as she too bowed in return.

As the guards arrived to escort them back out, Kuvira glanced back over her shoulder and caught a final glimpse of the woman who had literally haunted her in her delirium across the frigid expanses of Blackstone Isle. She let out a shuddered breath, consciously willing her legs to move as quickly as possible to put this place with all its dreaded memories behind.

The gates of the Republic City Maximum Security prison closed with a loud thud. A blinding sunbeam and the stern gaze of one Lin Beifong greeted Kya and Kuvira. The metalbender had been so enraptured inside her own head during the journey that she didn’t notice that Kya had been holding her wrist for most of the way.

“Are you okay kid?” repeated Chief Beifong and Kuvira blinked, confused. “I’m here to take you home,” Lin explained. “Korra should meet you there once she’s done with Tenzin’s acolyte party.”

“Only to check on Kuvira? Oh dear, what a disappointment,” Kya interjected as she winked at Kuvira. Despite her momentary daze, she let out a quiet chuckle. She was grateful for the distraction and the respite Kya’s humorous antics with Chief Beifong provide, however brief it was.

Lin rolled her eyes. “It goes without saying that I’m here to pick you up too. In fact, I told my deputies that I would be very busy for the next couple of hours so we can finally have lunch uninterrupted.”

"Tui must have granted me my wish then! Only arrived some decades late, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right?”

Lin uttered a low growl in response as she kept watch of Kuvira with the corner of her eye. It was rather unusual to see her so distraught. By the manner in which Kya exchanged a knowing glance with her, she understood she would soon find out what had shaken the younger woman to her present distracted state.

Lin checked her pocket watch before climbing on her satomobile. “Well, we’d better get going before Mako realizes his boss is playing hooky and my reservations are wasted again.”

~oOo~

“Vira, I’m back! Naga wait! You know that you just can’t barge in like that or you’ll end up breaking the sofa again and your mommy Vira really likes this one.”

Naga stopped her gallop just before she could trample the door down and patiently waited until her owner opened it, carefully squeezing her immense body through the door frame. As she closed the door with a small gust of air, Korra focused on balancing the assortment of small cardboard boxes she was precariously carrying.

“I brought lunch!” The Avatar announced as she placed the boxes over the kitchen counter. "Ikki saved us some food from the acolytes’ ceremony. We even got some pie! Meelo was upset that you weren’t there to see him lead the reciting of the vows until Jinora reminded him that you had a previous commitment, but they all want to see you in the next ceremony.” Korra had noticed the metalbender’s shoes neatly placed at the door on her way in, but she hadn’t come out to greet them as usual, which struck Korra as odd. Maybe she had fallen asleep, but Kuvira wasn’t the type to nap when there was something else to do like pester Mako for the latest police reports. Naga appeared to be sharing her owner’s mental wavelengths, so she began searching every room of their home until Korra heard her bark in front of their bedroom. The door opened and Kuvira emerged from the room. Naga moved to her side, practically guiding her.

“Naga, hey girl, you guys are back already?” Kuvira mumbled as she attempted to muster a smile. Naga brushed her head against the metalbender’s side and Kuvira scratched her ears. There was a faraway look in her eyes and her face looked puffy and pale.

“Are you okay? Did something went wrong with your visit?” Korra queried, concerned.

Kuvira lifted her gaze and suddenly, she hurled herself towards Korra as an aching cry erupted from her throat. As Korra rushed to hold her, she felt Kuvira’s whole body trembling as her sobs rumbled against her chest.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here now,” Korra whispered as she massaged the metalbender’s back in a soothing motion Katara had once taught her.

“Korra, when will it end? The guilt...I just can’t...I fear one day I’ll wake up to have it ensnaring around me like a vice until it suffocates and drains the life out of me,” Kuvira mumbled, her voice hoarse from crying.

Korra placed her hands over her cheeks tenderly.“Talk to me, what happened?” 

Kuvira inhaled deeply, attempting to recover some of her composure. “I’m so glad Kya was there to smooth things over because Irri remained hostile throughout our conversation. Without her presence, I doubt I would have been successful. I was calm during most of the visit until the moment Irri mocked our relationship and then, I almost lost it.”

“What did she say?”

“I don’t want to give her the pleasure of me repeating the hurtful things she said.”

Korra’s curiosity had been piqued but decided not to push for an answer. Whatever it had been, it must have really bothered Kuvira. “That’s okay, you don’t have to tell me now if you don’t feel like it. So did she accept?”

“Yes, she ended up agreeing with the terms of the parole. She’s going to join her relatives back at the North Pole.”

“I’ll remind Eska and Desna to keep an eye on her. They’re pretty good at that. Come, follow me,” Korra encouraged as she led Kuvira to the living room. Naga kept a vigilant gaze over the two women, sensing the charged emotional vibes that filled the room at that moment.

Korra stretched her body over the sofa and encouraged Kuvira to do the same. The metalbender laid down beside Korra, as she rested her cheek in the crook of her neck, eagerly seeking the scent that always reminded her of the South Pole and the sea.

“After Kya and I left, I felt a little distracted but otherwise, was okay until I made it home, and then it all came back to me. The recriminations, the accusations. Report after report filled to the brim with accounts of the abuses endured by the people at the camps. The negligent town mayors and the corrupt camp administrators that profited from the suffering of our people. All of this happened under my watch and I did nothing to prevent it! The way Irri looked at me is how everyone who was sent to the camps must feel about me. I thought I had gotten over it, but I haven’t. Deep down, it will always haunt me. I realized it when I met her again and saw the hate in her eyes. It hasn’t changed you know. It’s the same hatred she displayed when she tried to kill me.”

Korra felt how the metalbender clung to her vest tightly. Goosebumps ran over her arms and her breathing was agitated. Korra caressed her back soothingly, trying to lull her back to a calmer state. The way Kuvira’s raw pain manifested would have alarmed a younger Korra, but the one that survived the Red Lotus attack understood what she was going through. She needed to face her fears head-on, but she wouldn’t be alone in doing so. She was going to be there for her every step of the way.

“Korra, I know I did terrible things and I’ve come to understand the error of my ways but it hurts...it still hurts. I don’t want it to hurt anymore.” 

Korra took a deep breath and muttered hoarsely. “To be honest, I don’t know if it will ever stop hurting. I know what it is to wish for oblivion to take over.”

Kuvira sat up and gazed deeply at Korra’s eyes. “Please don’t say that,” she pleaded almost in desperation.

“Why?” 

“Because I’m afraid I will lose you and I can’t stand it. You’re all I have.”

Korra replied with a gentle smile as she brushed a dark tendril that fell over her right temple. “That’s not true. It wasn’t true for me and it’s not true for you. You have me and you have your friends, but most importantly, you have yourself. You are incredibly resilient but you’re human and it's okay to hurt, to feel these things. But I also want you to know is that despite the pain and the guilt, there is also hope.”

Kuvira hung her head low. “I want to believe that.”

Korra brought her chin up. “Every new day is proof that hope exists. It gives us a chance to be better. It’s all we have because we can’t go back in time to fix what we did in the past, but we can learn from it. You have done remarkable things and when I say I’m proud of you, it’s because I mean it,” she affirmed.

“I don’t deserve you, you’re too good for me.”

“Maybe you don’t but it doesn’t matter.”

“Why?” 

“Because I love you anyway.” 

Kuvira was rendered speechless. A lone tear trailed down her right cheek and Korra wiped it off with her thumb. 

“I’ll never understand what I’ve done for you to love me but I won’t try to figure it out it either.”

“Then don’t and just accept it, okay?” Korra flashed an impish smile at her as she bopped the tip of her nose, making Kuvira scrunch her face.

“Okay,” the metalbender chuckled as she ran her fingers softly over loose strands of hair over Korra’s forehead.

“Vira…” 

“Uhumm...”

“Could you please shift your weight just a little? My right leg is cramping.”

Kuvira felt a surge of blood rush towards her face. “I’m so sorry!” she stammered. In her haste, she slipped from the sofa and ended sprawled over the carpet. 

Korra guffawed at the sight of a visibly embarrassed Kuvira as she sat up and extended her hand to help her back up. “You’re so cute when you’re clumsy!”

“Who are you calling clumsy?” Kuvira protested indignantly and without warning, yanked Korra’s arm. Korra too lost her footing and fell down on top of the former commander.

“My, you are surprisingly soft for a metalbender,” Korra remarked, noticing the placement of her hands over Kuvira’s chest. 

“If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn this was intentional,” Kuvira blurted as she eyed Korra suspiciously.

“I have no idea what could make you think something like that,” the Avatar grinned as she squeezed Kuvira’s breasts before getting up. “Last one to the kitchen is a turtle seal!”

“Why you…” the former captain gasped as she saw Korra dash nimbly across their living room towards the kitchen. It was nothing short of extraordinary how Korra managed to lift her spirits with just small gestures. Kuvira might never find out what made Korra love her but she knew quite well what made her fall in love with Korra every single day.

~oOo~

Kuvira freed her hair from the pin that held it up and let it tumble over her shoulders and back. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror while performing the last of what Korra called her daily rituals for the day. She could hear Korra’s enthusiastic hoots and cheers as she listened to the Pro-Bending semi-finals on the radio and realized she still had some minutes for herself before Korra returned to summarize the highlights of the game. In the solitude of this quiet moment, she thought about Irri and what she had forced her to behold. People’s stories forgotten under a litany of dry facts. Their faces, invisible, behind the numbers. What had pained her so devastatingly today was the realization that she had once been the monster that Irri saw. But the monster along with the hubris and the lust for power that had fed it were long gone even if the consequences of her actions would chase her to her deathbed. What remained instead was her, condemned to live with regret and guilt. But as Korra had said, there was also hope, the hope present in the simple act of living each day trying to become a better person. Shimmering blue eyes sought deep green ones in the mirror, and Kuvira turned around to face the person that embodied this hope, as she gathered Korra in her arms and brought their lips together for a fervent kiss. 

Because in the end, Kuvira understood that Korra's love was worth the pain of living.

_The End_

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:
> 
> After a couple of more lighthearted stories, we return to the angst. The subject of the reeducation camps is a difficult one but a the same time, one that I wanted to address one more time. It had been featured on the series but I felt there was more it could be done with it. Although it wasn't what I had originally envisioned, I think (hope) this story told from a more personal level is also effective.
> 
> Although this story finished on a lighter note, I'm of the belief that Kuvira will always struggle with what she did, and most likely will spend much of her life atoning. This of course puts a constant strain on her emotional and mental health. Whether she retains the mental strength and fortitude to persevere is something that only the comics can answer for canon purposes, but I like to believe that she will and this story is a reflection of that. I hope you've enjoyed yet another tale of Kuvira on her path towards redemption and I would really like to hear your opinions about it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
